So you want to turn those views and watchers into money in your pocket - it takes effort

[johnrj1226]

  Have sold for a real selling  career for over 41.5 years.  Here are two guiding principles sets that helped me succeed.  Yes this  was in tete-a-tete seling situations vs online selling but you are still dealing with humans of all types of  experiences in life and  many generational changes that will continue on.  As I see it and did apply them to  my eBay selling years where my Listings was my best sales person.  You have to be a bit creative to do thats it is easy to do.  The goal is to   get the watchers to stop and put eyeballs on your listing and stop and read in a very short period of time and become convinced they may want your stuff.

1.  The Man (or Woman) In The Chair - wants know stuff about who they are dealing with

2. What  are the added value benefits of the products and /or services you are peddling to day - there are  books on this at your local library and else where.  But you  need to  be short,sweet and to the  point.  Ditch those cool words like Awesome an Amazing - they are empty means - benefit is why people buy (and those reasons are many and varied - be concise.  You only  have a limited time to  get a buyer or they will do a walk on by.  Kinda' like going Bass fishing keep casting until you find  what lure they like today.

In my  younger years I read a lot of books and attended seminars on selling techniques - not certain what this Z group is/all about - that's your  job.

Recall a situation where a buyer called me on an order that she just placed and had a few questions- one was need it  for B'day gift by such and such date, answered  her questions and then she asked how much room was left in the box  in a large fixed rate box - she added 7 more smaller items in the- box  all  at my listed price but were  shipped free.  I assured  her it would be delivered on or before  her delivery time.  Put in the USPS hands on a Saturday (a non business day - but USPS keep moving stuff).  She was  pleased when it arrived.  Customer first approach is always best - yeah it is once in a Blue moon event but they came back for more later.

[gurlcat]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

  As I see it and did apply them to  my eBay selling years where my Listings was my best sales person.  You have to be a bit creative to do thats it is easy to do. 

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*Just playing devil's advocate here.  -It's easy for you to say it's easy to do when you're no longer having to do it, especially if markets have changed since you last did it, like buyers having less money to spend, for instance. 

And although your post made some good points and has an encouraging feel overall, I don't see any specific advice about being creative with listings, nor can anyone look at your listings to see what you mean .... because you don't have any. 

[meme6253]

Some Nice advice, But I agree with gurlcat, Most of that does not apply to online selling, Or selling in these  Current & turbulent times.

[onlinecentral]

The goal is to get the watchers to stop and put eyeballs on your listing ...
Most sellers have a crooked trapezoid photo. My straight, level, parallel photos with the excess space around the perimeter removed is the listing the buyer is more likely to click on.

... and stop and read in a very short period of time and become convinced they may want your stuff.
People watch Elvis impersonators and Kiss tribute bands. The goal is a performance as close to the OG or Real McCoy as possible.

Early on, I realized that is how my descriptions should be. I include all of the text from the retail package. That drastically reduced the number of Questions to Seller I was receiving. Looking through Sold Items indicated I was getting a larger share of sales compared with identical items with lame descriptions. The features, benefits, compatibility and specifications I include within the description seal the deal.

[luckythewinner]

In your 41 year career of "tete-a-tete" selling, were you ever selling 

• a single used book?
• a single used video game?
• a single tube of toothpaste?
• a four-pack of 9V batteries?
• a new-old-stock ink cartridge for an obsolete printer?
• a single package of candy that might stick to your teeth?

I'm not sure most eBay buyers are pondering the value add of my service or what my company stands for, because eBay will give them a 100% refund if they so much as think an unhappy thought.

[pls-consignments]

Like the OP, I too subscribe to similar standards of selling, which have benefited me in my early B&M retail businesses. HOWEVER, as mentioned , they can only be applied in "principle". Because no matter what a person is selling, their success is based on their ability to identify, plan, implement and adapt. 

Those of us who sell primarily on this platform must navigate through the ever-changing rules and playing field. 

Yet, no matter what a person is selling, their success is based on their ability to do simple math. Unfortunately, many new sellers must have skipped that class. 🙄

[gurlcat]

Honestly I think you might be missing the biz a bit, yeah?  Even a little?  If so you should come back, whether you "need" to or not, just have a few listings going, of only the things you enjoy selling the most.

The boredom of retirement is a real health hazard for people with real grit in their blood, I truly believe that.   

[12345jamesstamps]

'awesome an amazing'...true...these are not items and useless to use in my mind.

counter point...'antique or vintage'...why sellers continue to use these words is beyond me.

Any smart buyer will know it is antique or vintage or old.

Your business plan maybe worked in the past...but changes have happened.

Goal is 'repeat buyers' and should be in a mission statement.

And more and buyers use a iPhone or smartphone for a purchase...where a quick purchase comes into play without any other added features.

Watchers are basically nosey people to me.

You either buy it or move on...

[redlinear]

Worthy advice. Bad analogy.
  I've won three boats bass fishing.  If you've resorted to throwing the tackle box at em', you're in trouble.

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Your advice is better suited for some products in some categories than other products in other categories.

What has worked in some businesses does not work in other businesses even in the real world.

For many of us, it is meaningless to tout the benefits of our product. There are none other than self-gratification. The product performs no meaningful function, it is want not a need.

Some products which are wants can have an enhanced chance of selling by providing a story that is relevant to the product. Many people want items which are collectible and are more likely to buy from a seller who puts it in context for them.

Buyers may know if an item is antique or vintage but may not know its actual age, who made it and how it was used. Some items are of historical significance - local or national. Some have ties to celebrities of their time whose story can be shared.

If one is a good story-teller one can do a low keyed "no sell - sell" effectively. You can give the impression that you know about this stuff and you are selling it because it is valuable in ways the buyer was not aware.

[johnrj1226]

Gave you that advice for  free - now do  your own home work and  read, read whatever you wish as 85% of what we remember/recall comes thru our visions, 12% by doing and ~8% through our hearing..  But it  looks like you have all your need figured out.

Since I started working in 1967  all the way thru to Oct 2007 have seen more ups and down that a Duncan yoyo.  Retailed capital goods.  Capital goods and Advertising  are the first items cut in an economy down  turn.   The largest recession happened in the1982 it was  proceeded by  2 smaller  recessions in 71 and mid/late 70s.  It took 4 years to recover from the 82.  Do some googling research and bone up on the mortgage rates, inflation and unemployment rates of that yesteryear.  When money gets tight and  good jobs got harder to find people people buy necessities.   I had to work smarter and harder to maintain our living.Found what was selling cause people dont stop buying

PS:  Have 3  children ages 55 to almost 39 - gave them my advise on  life things and they said thanks many years later  They are experiencing the changes and  believe the strong will survive and accept they will have to change tactics to maintain a slice of the that need w/o cutting into  savings.

 Still shop  at Walmart like I did in1983 at a  small Country size unit  out side of Waco, TX today I can buy more thinks but Walmart has a significant issue with losses theft  - it has doubled from 3 billion bucks/year to 6+ billion.  Profit dropped from. 6.5 to 3.5%- volume  is every thing to Sam Walton the Founder - met/talked with him briefly in Houston area - town of Katy

[johnrj1226]

Worked for  two  Japanese companies over 14  years Mitsubishi & Komatsu.  They were keen on what the  termed "Plan - See - Do" method of continuous improvement in the business model. 

Also Know As  the PDCA or the Deming Cycle or Deming Wheel

The Plan-do-check-act Procedure

• Plan: Recognize an opportunity and plan a change.
• Do: Test the change. Carry out a small-scale study.
• Check: Review the test, analyze the results, and identify what you've learned.
• Act: Take action based on what you learned in the study step.

Very similar to a motivational  phrase a seasoned mentor ( the  late J.R. Barber.) of mine laid on me when I was a young guy  fresh out of college with my eyes wide open  to the world- "Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best"  Worked well for  both business and personal improvement.  Those gray haired ole foxes are great teachers (his name the  late J.R. Barber.) - .

Ciao

and 

[fbusoni]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

Gave you that advice for  free - now do  your own home work and  read...

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What advice was that, exactly?   That selling takes effort?

I'm 65 and don't require homespun "wisdom" to know that, and something tells me that I am not the only one.

Your single anecdote about shipping on Saturday is a customer service insight.   And delivering good customer service is just plain common sense.

No offense, but I don't see much value added here.   Not sure that even Gen Z folks would either.   regards

[johnrj1226]

To each there own view point - personally found there are many common threads between selling of anything - as  have experience with selling  stuff on eBay, Craigs List , our own garages sales, worked in retail stores (Sears Country stores), drugstores, used car lots heck even  fresh vegetables and fresh eggs at our farm stand.   And  obviously  have had a life long experiences as a buyer and  had all types of  experiences  from  top shelf  service to just lousy service  with  lousy products  Sellers with an attitude will  find me moving under the  exit sign or  hear.    In the end selling & buing is  of any thing is a people to people exchange.  Many on line sellers  like to flex their "internet muscles" - like kinda' like they do  at the bar on  a 4 or more Friday night.

[johnrj1226]

 Value  added service example shipping time - getting it scanned in by carrier 1 day or sooner easy to do with USPS and shipping on a Saturday - a non Business day per eBay rules.   It  worked for me, eBay  - eBay  provable  data - shipped  1665 items,  received 1006 FB as a seller all but one Positive.  Value added offer s tube the other guys that  may  be  of  value.  Can't figure out why so many sellers have a no return policy when there is a 30 day eBay Money back  Guarantee  policy.  Always  had  return  policy never a free one.

Getting  the shoppers to stop & look at your listing is key, Your key shot may do the trick to separate you from the masses  where ever I could I  took an interesting shot of the item but not the whole item e.g. if it was a  shirt, I'd crop the shot  showing the collar, size and brand label, pocket, a couple buttons, shirt pocket, brand name or  logo & size  - I termed  these my show'em a little leg view - being creative (aka thinking out side the box) has some benefits  - anything beside a shirt just handing on hanger and hanging on a closet  door

FYW  41.5  years I sold forklift  - lots of  competition  200-250K new units  sold in decent years in the  US   with more than 10 name brands  plus  low $ Chinese brands